


The hogwarts staff room

by Moonybird



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-27 00:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 20,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18187361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonybird/pseuds/Moonybird
Summary: Gain a glimpse into what is going on among the staff of hogwarts when they are free to discuss and talk inside of the Hogwarts staff room, collects scenes from all of the Harry potter books. Teachers conspiring and banting against each other.





	1. Year one - The boy who lived

"Isn't it a delight to see that the boy turned out all right after all?" Flitwick cheerfully chattered, he was getting into one of the most burning subjects at recent time, the freshman celebrity Harry Potter, who was also of special interest as most of the staff had clear memories of one James Potter and Lily Evans, which was probably also why the kid drew more attention to him than he should. "A little shy, but intelligent, that's a keeper you have gotten yourself there Minnerva." Flitwick smiled.

"indeed." McGonagall nodded. "Lets just hope he will rub off on Weasley, instead of Weasly rubbing off on him, the two of them is always together, and quite frankly, Weasley is a mess."

"Po-Potter, indee-deed, s's's'seems to have a fla-flair for de-de-fence." Quirll stammered. "Ve-very eager to learn." He finished.

McGonnagal lifted an eyebrow. "Have you tried meditation?" she asked. "It's not something I could ever imagine using myself, but I think it would help your lectures a great deal if you did something about this." she gestured at him. "I think everything would be worth a try if you don't want to go grey at a early age."

"No-no-no, I have no-not tried that." Quirll swallowed. "I will co-consider it."

Sprout also looked a little curiously at him. "You know, I got some herbals for tea that should be good for reliving the tension, always works like a charm for me." She commented. "I'll get you a bag at dinner."

"Tha-thank you." Quirll stammered.

"Well." Flitwick looked a little wide-eyed at him before seemingly deciding to switch the topic back and away from Quirll. "What about in your classes Severus? Is the boy as eager to learn?"

"Hardly." Snape didn't even look up form the papers that he was grading.

The four other members in the room looked at him, clearly wanting elaboration.

Snape sighed deeply. "His performance in class has so far at best been abysmal." He commented dryly finally bothering to look up. "He does not study before class and is thus never prepared, he does not listen and the potions he delivers are all so far spoiled, not only that, he doesn't take responsibility for this short comings, which clearly shows me that he is very arrogant."

McGonnagal smirked. "So is every freshman Gryffindor." She cheated. "We are only a month into term Severus, maybe he'll surprise you."

"I highly doubt that." Snape retorted dryly and then returned to his papers.

"Granger must be a student just in your taste though." McGonagall continued regardless. "Always well prepared, always orderly, she must be refreshing for you."

"She lacks any kind of imagination." Severus rolled his eyes. "Of cause she mastered the feet of following the written formula to the dot, oh how difficult that is, just to do what is written in the book or on the board, and that is as far as she will ever go in my class, that is however fortunate for Longbottom as he seems to have the reverse problem." He snorted. "He absolutely doesn't lack imagination in potions class, the ways he can destroy a potion within seconds simply amazes me."

"Really?" Sprout asked. "I thought he would be at least decent in potions, his knowledge of herbology is actually rather astounding, he seems know every single plant in the plant house, as well as their functions, he should be able to handle them well as potions ingredients, plus he is certainly not scarce of getting dirty fingers." She looked at Snape. "being reluctant to chub up slubberworms or not knowing what the ingredients do can't be the reason for him to perform badly in potions." She mussed. "Perhaps you're making him nervous?" she suggested. "He is rather jumpy."

"If I am making him nervous, that is no fault of mine." Snape snapped.

"I would have to agree with Severus on that one." McGonagall looked up the ceiling. "I do have my work cut out for me with that one, he also always seems to be nervous in my class as well."

"And my class." Flitwick sighed. "It's not that uncommon that the freshmens are nervous in the first couple of lessons, but we are a month in now, and the lad still shakes like a leaf every time it's time to get the wands into use."

Defeated McGonagall shook her head. "I refuse to believe that it's because he is dim, sometimes he honestly shows spurts of being gifted, but then he just retrieve right back into that nervous persona." she sighed. "I am lead to believe the only thing he really need is belief in himself, but with a bit of luck that shouldn't take to long."

"And what if it takes long?" Severus asked.

McGonagall sighed deeply. "Then we are in for some rough years."

Quirll started to raise up as he shovelled papers together in front of him.

"Going all ready?" McGonnagal asked.

"Ye-yes." Quirll responded. "I-I-I ne-need to pre-prepare for cla-class to-tomorrow." He gulped. "The Ne-Newt stu-stu-stu-stu." He seemed to have gone into extra stammering mode.

"They are going through the unforgivables." Snape cut him off. "That is the usual thing for NEWT's to start their term on, is it not?"

"Ye-yes." Quirll seemed like he was sweating. "Ex-excuse me." And he vanished through the door.

"Severus really." McGonagall shook her head. "That was uncalled for."

"Come on, if I hadn't finished for him he would have gone into a glitch and we would have been sitting here the entire night." He snorted.

Flitwick looked at the door he had disappeared through. "There is something really odd going on about that lad." He mussed. "I mean, really odd."

"Glad you can see it." Snape snorted.

"Be reasonable." McGonagall then said. "We don't know what nasty dark magic that turned him into such a wreck."

Snape looked darkly at her. "Minnerva, I know dark magic, and I know how it affects people, the way he is acting doesn't seem like any thing I could recognise." He sneered. "It seems very clear to me, that he is covering something up."

"I however still believe in innocent to proven otherwise." McGonagall flat out stated. "He is here, and he is our colleague, it would not be fair of us to be suspicious of him." She took a slight sip of her cup of tea. "Beside, he is even helping protecting the stone."

"Minnerva, _I_ am helping protecting the stone, and if Dumbledores mad theory of the dark lord coming back have the least bit ground to it, I should have been the last person to be included." Snape rolled his eyes. "So it really doesn't count as much."

"The man has a point." Sprout pointed out.

"So you don't think You-know-who is out there?" Flitwick asked interested.

"I honestly can't say." Snape said a little annoyed. "But it would be a meagre existence if he really is out there, if he was truly in power." Gracefully Snape pulled back his left sleeve to showcase an arm, which was so significant precisely because there was seemingly nothing on it but a red area that seemed a little annoyed. "I _really_ think that I would know."

It was far from a secret among the staff members that Snape was a former death eater, in fact.. Everyone in the room had known him through child-hood, had taught him classes from his first year, and they had been there as he had been named a death-eater by the ministry. And as Dumbledore had cleared him, they had even been among the people to lift eyebrows at it, but now it all seemed like a very long time ago, and they had settled into their own little routine, they had a well running working-relationship with each other, had learned how to deal and communicate across the table and had accepted they were for all intense and purposes a sort of family, the four head of houses did may have feuds once in a while, but they all knew that they were there for the school and therefore knew how to corporate and just accept each other.

"Well that's a relief." Flitwick responded with a smile in his voice.

"Do remember to tell when he does come back." Sprout added, also with a smile in her voice.

Snape however, looked extra grummy at them. "Do _not,_ take it so lightly, there is nothing amusing about it, so please."

"Sorry." Sprout shrugged.

However as time went on, Snape suddenly found himself alone in the room, while still grading papers, probably his own fault for handing out so much home-work though he knew it would be send straight back to him.. though as he was alone, he in a dreading motion, lifted up his arm, to pull away the sleeve as he furrowed his brows looking at the red spot.. you could only see it if you were really close, and Severus was even questioning if he might wasn't just imagining things, but it had to be.. if you looked really close, a light greyish marking of a skull seemed to have appeared, he was almost about to trace a finger over it, but changed his mind in the last second, as he didn't really dared to touch it. And quickly Snape covered it up again, trying to suppress the chill going down his spine.


	2. Year two - Poppycock

"I think it is going nothing short of splendid." Lockheart flashed a big grin at the entire staff room. "Of course it has to help that I was a role model even before I took the position, I of course am far above bragging, but it is nice to be acknowledged on a daily basis."

"For showing how inept you are allowed to be." McGonagall whispered so only Snape could hear it.

And Snape gave a slight grim smirk in return.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that?" Lockheart seemed to have captured the little exchange.

"I said." McGonagall offered him a pleasant smile. "It's really nice to hear that you're coping so well." she said.

"Why thank you, mind you I will be the first to say that I was nervous." Lockheart released a ringing laughter. "But of course with someone as brilliant as me, it turned out fine."

"Good thing it will only be one year." McGonagall was back to the extreme low voice, and this time Lockheart truly were to busy talking to even take notice.

"As the headmaster seems to go out of his way to set new lows every year, I am not even sure that is a good thing." Snape lowly returned.

" _Severus_." McGonagall scorned him, in a louder voice than anticipated, only for them to discover that everyone in the room was now looking at them.. probably so bored with Lockhearts talk that any diversion would seem welcome.

Unfortunately, because everyone was looking at them Lockheart was bound to notice, and at once he started addressing them. "Say, how's the potions brewing going." Lockheart flashed a grin at Snape.

 _"Fine."_ Snape hissed through his gritting teethes.

"You know if you have trouble in the re-search I could come down and have a look at it one day." Lockheart offered. "You know, my potions skills are not to be taken for granted and I am a very good improviser, as described in, _"Voyage with vampires."_ where's there is an most excellent chapter describing how I in less than three days came up with a potion that would momentarily make the vampire immune to sunlight, so dear little Anabel could have her greatest wish fulfilled and experience a sunrise." Lockheart sighed deeply while fluttering his lashes. "An excellent chapter I tell you. Did you read it?"

All other teachers eyes were on Snape, curious for his reaction.

He looked furiously at at Lockheart. "No." he hissed. "No I didn't have the… _pleasure_." the last word was simply drenched in venom. Enough to make any normal person shiver... But Lockheart clearly wasn't normal.

"Oh but you must." Lockheart exclaimed. "If you don't have a copy, why don't I just give you one free? I'll even sign it! How about that."

"You really don't have to." hate and venom was in each of Snapes words.

"I heard you even had a taste for Defence against the dark arts." Lockheart continued, clearly oblivious to the hateful annoyed stare Snape send him spelling murder, it would probably have made any normal person fell just a little uncomfortable. But ones again, Lockheart just wasn't normal. "Then you must find my books very interesting and illuminating, I am sure you can get a lot from them! I'll be sure to send the whole collection to your quarters!" he grinned gladly. "signed of cause."

It would simply not be possible for someone to clinch his or hers teethes more than Snape was doing at that moment, it was a wonder they weren't falling out as Snape was obviously using every little bit of will and strength to restrain himself, not to just go right ahead and hex the man with some sort of irreversible nasty curse. Finally someone decided to have mercy upon him.

"Gildory." McGonagall rose up. "I was thinking, up on the fourth floor, there's a boggart in my class room, wouldn't you go take care of that?"

"A boggart?" Gildory looked at her.

"Oh yes, I would assume for someone with your astounding record it would be childs play!" McGonagall encouraged. "And I would really like to have it gone before morning, I'm just afraid my old heart can't take more spooking and scaring."

"Oh." Lockheart looked at her, but didn't really have time to say any-more as McGonagall was all-ready beside him.

"Oh thank you Gildory, that was very kind of you." she said. "Better go and do it at once, off you go." she pushed him out of the door. "And remember to lock the classroom when your done." she half shouted with her head out of the door before retrieving back into the room slamming the door, then stood back crossing her arms. "You would have to search long and hard for a peacock like that." she commented dryly. while several teachers tried to hide their relieved grin.

"Minnerva you disappoint me." Kettleburn told in a light tone "I had actually hoped he would come and ask me if he could help with my work, I just had a couple of Abraxan's brought in for the NEWT students. " the rough scared professor mindlessly told.

Snape lifted an eyebrow.. Abraxans were very large flesh eating horses that always were to be treated with caution. "He would loose an arm within a second near those things." he commented.. and first then realised what he was saying and what Kettleburn had meant, which made him halt and then smirk.

"Hm well." McGonagall injected dryly. "As tempting as it may be, we don't conduct murders here at Hogwarts." She instructed them, sending a very saying glance at Snape.

Snape merely lifted an eyebrow, as to say that he positively had no idea what she could be hinting at.

Flitwick shook his head. "lets just hope he isn't dumb enough to challenge Severus to a duel." He smirked at Severus. "You would weep the floor with him in less than a second."

"Thank you for thinking me better than a arrogant glitter boy." Snape sneered. "His greatest attack would undoubtly be trying to blind the enemy with his Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile" he commented dryly, to the amusement of many in the staff room.

"Severus." Flitwick chuckled. "Even I don't really want to face you in duel."

That made Severus genuinely smile, Flitwick was a very accomplished duelist and had proved his worth countless of times in the past, to get a compliment like that from him, it was not to be taken lightly, and Severus showed his thanks by merely that simple smile. which everyone in the staff room recognised as the highest degree of gratitude the man would ever hand out.


	3. Year two - saving face

To Snapes utter surprise as he entered the staff room in the evening after an absolute horrid day, he was greeted by light cheering from the few staff members in the room.

"You sure showed him." Burbag grinned sheepishly. "Right on his bum Severus."

A smirk crushed Severus's lip as he lightly bowed his head, as if he was taking a bow, she was referring to the Lockheart incident earlier this day.

The fool really had been dumb enough to challenge Snape to a duel, and he had paid the price by being humiliated in front of all of the students.

"Though, I don't suppose it counts as much when it only took a simple expeliarmus." Snape sounded beyond bored in his tone of voice.

"It wouldn't surprise me if the students learned more from observing that simple spell once, than what they are going to learn all year from Lockheart." McGonagall commented dryly.

"The puff had it coming." Snape shrugged.

"Severus." Burbage captured his attention before he got to sit down. "Could you come look at this?" she asked. "Do you know anything about computers?"

"Come again?" Severus asked in a confused blink.

"Computers." Burbage repeated. "It's a muggle thing, recently very huge, you're always so good at telling me when I am absolutely wrong about these things." She let out a laugh. "Just to think, you had to tell me what a potato pillar is for, I genuinely thought it was designed to stab people with."

Severus lifted an eyebrow.. why they had not simple hired a muggleborn witch or wizard to this post was beyond him, or why they didn't went for muggleborns in the departments of muggle communication in the ministry, but the system was build in a really dump way, so only if you had an exam in muggle studies could you get work in these areas, and if you were a muggleborn, to take muggle studies seemed like a pretty dimwitted thing to do, unless you were after a very easy O in the O.W.L.s.

"I have no idea what a computer is." Snape commented dryly. "I never came across the word, all I know of the muggle world is from the seventies, and apparently a lot have changed since then."

"Oh okay then." Burbage returned to her book. "It is fascinating though, not many uses it yet but muggles who is in the business world can use the computers to go on this thing called the internet, and then contact each other even though they are on different sides of the planet! You know, like we can with floo powder!"

"Or like they have been able to the last seventy years with a telephone?" Severus asked.

Burbages face faltered as she let out a little. "Oh." Before continuing. "This is different though, this is text based."

"Like letters?" Severus then asked. "Which muggles have been able to write and send for at least a couple of hundred years. You know, you write them on a piece of paper and then make someone deliver them."

"You're taking the fun out of everything." Burbage returned, this time a little annoyed.

Snape merely shrugged as he finally sat down, ready to grade even more papers.

After some time McGonagall broke the silence as she quietly addressed Severus. "This thing with the chamber, the situation is getting worse isn't it?"

"It is." Severus returned. "I am not sure where it will lead."

"Never have the school closed down for anything." McGonagall said. "I wasn't teaching here yet back then, but there are people here who remembers what happened."

Severus looked down, before he hesitated. "What do you think about Potter being a parsel tongue?" he then asked.

"I think it's a rare and unique gift that should be cherished." McGonagall shrugged.

"I don't think it's that simple." Snape furrowed his brows. "You do realize that the last person being able to talk to snakes was."

"The dark lord, yes I know." McGonagall snapped. "But to me, there is nothing else to it than being a natural at animagi, or a natural occlumist or a metamorphus." She informed shortly.

"It is peculiar though." Snape reflected. "And I refuse to believe that it's that simple."

"Then you worry about that." McGonagall sniffed. "I however, am not going to bash down a special gift." She lectured before returning to her work, before she very silently added. "Nice exspeliarmus."

Snape smirked. But that was quickly cured as one blond flamboyant bimbo had decided to do a great entrance, a smile plastered on his face. "Ah, Severus." Lockheart loudly greeted Snape. "Just the man I was looking for."

"I should be damned." Severus said in a voice so low that only McGonagall could hear it. "If it's even possible to find someone to annoy me more next year."

"njah, I find that to be extremely unlikely." McGonagall rolled her eyes as she returned to the papers, leaving Snape to one of his many nightmares, this time taking the form of a man covered in glitter and smelling of the most sickening roses, who looked like he had just jumped right out from a gay parade.

"Severus." Lockheart greeted once again sitting down right next to Severus. "Good job in the duel club." He exclaimed. "I must say, I was starting to get the feeling that the students were to intimidated by me, so it was nice of you to show that I am also, merely a human being."

It seemed like Goldilock had come up with a new plan of how to salvage his pride after that disaster in the club.. Severus only barely refrained from rolling his eyes by the attempt.

"But between you and me." Lockheart bowed over as he started talking in a lower voice. "I don't think the students are quite ready for it yet, I must have gotten a bit ahead of myself, I just thought that because I could handle it when I was at their age, they all would be able to as well." He blinked at Snape. "But then I guess you can't expect everyone to be as gifted as me." He sighed in a theatrical way. "Oh dear Severus, the burdens the world places on your shoulders when you just happen to be specially gifted." He sighed yet again. "And will the world thank you for it?" he asked. "No sir, you only have the knowledge that you did the right thing to comfort you through the hard ship of being all alone while fighting the monsters."

"Are you quite done?" Snape cut him of. "I have work to do." He made aware.

"Then I must leave you to it." Lockheart winked happily. "Thank you for the chat Severus, it's nice to find someone almost as brilliant as myself, people like that are so rare." And he happily went away.

"Is it to much to hope for that he falls down a shaft and dies?" Severus asked out in the room as soon as the door had closed.

"Yes." McGonagall told him. "Yes it is."

"But it's okay to hope that he will get severally injured." Burbag added wisely.

McGonagall looked sternly at the younger professor in muggle studios.

"To be honest though." Flitwick hesitated. "The way he is acting, it defies all logic if he doesn't somehow gets severally injured."

"Well, then lets hope it's after he is done teaching here so I know no-one in this room was behind it." McGonagall sniffed as she rose up. "Or at least, it wont be Hogwarts responsibility." She walked out.

Burbag shook her head. "She wants to see him go down as much as we do." She made aware.

Severus merely shrugged, Flitwicks point was rather good and true, the puff would undoubtly get hurt on his own accord in due time.


	4. Year three - The past

Severus Snape was in a bad mood, as in really bad.

Dumbledore had actually done it, and it had been possible, Dumbledore had hired someone that would be more of a pain to Severus than any other Defence the dark arts teacher so far. And his extra bad mood didn't go entirely unnoticed in the staff room.

There was some who knew exactly why he was in such a bad mood, others though, were bewildered and curious.

"Isn't it refreshing having someone else our age?" Burbage asked reffering to the fact that her and Snape were the youngest teachers at Hogwarts currently, alongside their new defense the dark arts teacher.. "And he is even intelligent, that must sit well with you."

Severus scowled at her. "Do _not,_ speak of that imbecile to me as if I give a damn."

"I didn't know you were afraid of werewolves." Burbage lifted an eyebrow.

Severus send her a dangerous look, mostly only reserved for school students, which made Burbage a little annoyed, first of she was a teacher not a student, which took a lot of his intimidation value away. Secondly she was a person known for speaking up with a passion, not backing down from her believes, especially when it came to the subject of corporation between species, or just muggles and wizards. which she was most known for as she had all-ready published several papers and two books on why wizards and muggles should corporate, her publishments were even quite popular as each and everyone of them was filled with enthusiasm.

"Leave it." McGonagall instructed her. "Severus's reasons are his own."

And Snape send a venomous glare at her as well.

McGonagall snorted. "Quit it Severus, I don't know what you think you're getting out of giving _me_ that look."

Severus scowled as he returned to his papers, starting to wonder why he even bothered to go into this room at all this school year. Usually it was good for diversion as he only to quickly could be trapped in his own mind and routine otherwise. It was not out of want that he spend so many evenings here, it was a necessity for him, if he not wished to end up truly being the man who was just en extension of the dungeons rather than a actual human being who had a life, and the only life he had was with the staff of hogwarts, he didn't want to ever imply it, but they were all he had, though right now, that other option of becoming a full time dungeon creature seemed rather tempting.

And as on cue, the reason for his hate and constant foul mood stepped through the door, a big smile on his face and happily greeted by the other teachers. Cheerfully that man looked around. "So this is how it looks in here." He cheerfully commented.

Flitwick chuckled. "Don't tell me this is the first time you've been in here."

"No it isn't professor Flitwick." Lupin commented amused. "But all those times I was honestly to worried about the detention I would receive to take notice of the room."

"Remus first of." Flitwick started. "It's Filius, we are all friends here, secondly." He looked amused at Lupin. "I would hope any reason for such behaviour wont be an issue any-more."

"Oh I shouldn't think so." Lupin returned. "I have grown into a very responsible adult if I am allowed to say."

Severus was all ready almost at the door, only to ready to leave. However, he wasn't quick enough.

"Leaving all ready Severus?" there even seemed to be genuine disappointment in Lupins voice.

"Yes." Severus drawled in his most dangerous voice. "Some of us have better things to do than reminisce about old days, all though I can see how it would be a _delight._ " He drawled sarcastically.

"I had more hoped we could skip right ahead to the present actually." Lupin honestly told. "You know, clean slate. Start over."

Snape gave him a look as if he was an idiot and what Lupin had just said defied all logic in how stupid it was.

"Yeah okay." Lupin sighed. "But just so you know, I am all about living in the present and forgetting the past right now, so I hope we can work something out."

Snape snorted as he strided out of the door, his robes billowing around his ankles.

"wow, it's actually been some time since he have been that moody." Burbage muttered.

"I'm sorry Remus." McGonagall offered. "But I guess you know how he is."

"Not to worry." Lupin sighed. "I _do_ know how he is." he pointed out slightly amused.

"Still, it isn't fair of him to be rude, just because.." Burbage halted. "You know."

"Don't worry about it." Remus assured her. "And don't worry about him, he had a near death experience with one of my kind doing a full-moon, so you can't fault him for his feelings." He explained.

"Then he still shouldn't be rude." Burbage pressed on.

"I find it quite refreshing actually." Lupin shrugged. "very honest."

Burbage lifted an eyebrow, inquiring that she wanted to hear more. "How so?" she even asked.

"Look, Charity this is how it is." Remus addressed her kindly. "People can't really control if they're scared or not, that is just how they fell, often they are just misinformed, but some like Severus have good reasons to be scared and here's where the tricky part comes in." he told seriously. "Usually these people will greet me with a big fake smile plastered all over their face, but they wont dare to shake my hand, they will assure me that it was a pleasure to talk to me but then turn around and cheer that they were able to get away, and if I hang around the place for a while, they will talk behind my back, and I would only wish they would come and say what they need to say to my face." Remus reached for the teapot. "Then I by far prefer the Snape approach, a lot can be said, but I know precisely where he stands and I most certainly wont have to guess." He poured himself a cup of tea. "Honestly, I would be a lot more worried about him brewing wolfebanes potion for me if he was all smiles."

McGonagall smiled a warm smile from her side of the table. "Remus, it's truly delightful to hear that you're doing so well."

"Thank you pro.. I mean Minerva." Lupin smiled softly.

"You seemed to had disappeared after the fall of You-know-who, so an old head of house couldn't help but wonder." She friendly chatted.

"I've kept myself busy." Remus informed. "Traveled across the country, worked a bit here and worked a bit there, sometimes with magical creatures some times as a tutor for younger wizards, a free lancer if you will. I haven't lacked anything."

At that Burbage unwillingly gave a look at his very shabby clothes.

"I said I haven't been lacking." He almost chuckled. "I also always found it worth remembering that being rich does not equals being happy, I have been very lucky and happy considering everything."

"That is truly good news." Flitwick smiled brightly. "As Minerva said, we couldn't help but wonder once in a while."

"So, I understand you met Potter on the train." McGonagall asked.

"Oh yes." Lupin brightened up. "I honestly can say that I can't believe he is that big! has it really been that long all ready?" he grinned. "Man, feels just like yesterday James was a nervouse wreck afraid of dropping the little thing." Remus chuckled to himself. "He looks an awful lot like James doesn't he?" he asked. "Except those eyes, they are precisely like Lily's! I would be able to recognise those eyes anywhere" He gladly exclaimed, before furrowing his brows. "I hope he doesn't have the same tendency for trouble as his father though."

"Hm." McGonagall sniffed. "That must be both a yes and no."

"Oh?" Lupin asked.

"He is not a prankster like his father." She started telling. "He doesn't deliberately start riots or deliberately prank other students, but yet he have been into more trouble doing these last two years than James Potter ever were at his first four."

"Oh." Lupin said again as he blinked in surprise. "That bad?" he asked. "I find that hard to believe."

"You'll be surprised." Was McGonagall's short response.

"And with Sirius Black after him this year." Flitwick said in a low voice.

Suddenly a shadow there hadn't been there before seemed to creep over Lupin's face, though it only was there for a moment before he shook it off.

"You think he's mad enough to try and gain entrance to school?" Burbage asked.

No one answered, Burbage as the only one unaware of Lupins former history looked at them confused by the silent response, and was just about to open her mouth again, only to be caught short by McGonagall who was very quick to change subject. "So Remus, what are your plans for term?"

"Well, my special expertise happens to be dark creatures so I guess that will be my main focus in most classes." He informed. "None of the classes seems to have been taught in the field at all so there seems to be a lot to take from, plus if tradition serves I will only be here for a year." He let out a dry laughter. "So I guess I just pour out all of my wisdom at ones without holding back and get it over with." He frowned. "Though, with Newt's It will be duelling tactics first, and as for fifth years." he seemed exhausted all ready. "They have a whole curriculum to go through before they even have a chance to pass the Owl's, so we are going to go through all of it, it's going to be busy. What the heck did their former Defence the darks art teacher even teach them? It seems like they've been taught nothing!" he exclaimed horrified and McGonagall looked a little apolegetic at him.

"At least it sounds like they will be learning." She commented.

Suddenly a big rumble sounded from the closet, demanding all of the teachers attention as the closet bounced up and down. McGonagall furrowed her brows. "It has been doing that all day." She turned to Lupin. "You think something moved in there?"

"It sounds like a boggart to me." Slowly he raised up and walked towards the closet, pressing his ear against it as it rumbled again, before he bowed down to peek into the key-hold. "Yep, definitely a boggart." He informed the room.

"Better get rid of it sooner than later." Flitwick commented as he drew his wand, ready to just get it over with.

"Wait." Lupin stopped him as he grinned. "This is perfect!" he exclaimed. "I can use this, for a practical lesson." He looked a little thoughtful before continuing. "I have third years for the first class tomorrow, they would love this."

"Okay then." Flitwick retrieved his wand. "As long as it's gone before to long."

"Tomorrow, and it will be gone." Lupin promised.

"Is it Potters class you will expose to the boggart?" McGonagall asked.

Lupin thought a little, and then answered. "Yes, it apparently is."

"Be careful with Potter." McGonagall asked of him. "The child has all ready faced horror's bad enough to send most adults screaming away."

Lupin paled a little from that bit of information, but nodded. "I will make sure to keep that in mind." he promised.


	5. Year three - Moony and Padfoot

"So here you are Lupin." Snape sneered as he barged into the staff room, a big scowl plastered on his face, and fury burning in his pitch black eyes.

"So it would seem." Lupin sighed. "Why don't you have a seat Severus." He nodded at a chair in front of him, and retained a friendly tone though Snape was anything but friendly, from his hostile tone to the fact that he still refused to call Lupin by first name. They were completely alone in the staff room, Lupin just sitting with a cup of tea and a book in front of him, and so there were plenty of empty chairs to choose from would Snape choose to sit down.

Snape how ever did not sit down, he strode towards the table and placed his hands flat on it as he leaned forwards. "So, _Moony_. What was that parchment really?" he sneered.

"Straight to the point as always." Lupin half way smirked before he sighed. "As you all ready must be well aware of, it belonged to James, Sirius, Peter and I back in the day." He shook his head. "How on earth Harry got his hands on it, I don't know."

"For me it seems simple." Snape sneered. "Either Black slipped it to him, or _you_ did." He spat. "What is it?" he demanded.

"One question at the time." Lupin told firmly. "First of, it wasn't me that gave it to Harry, and I don't see how it could have been Black as the map was confiscated by Filch at my seventh school year." He firmly stated. "And I made a point of not making Harry aware that the map belonged to James, I fear had I done that, Harry would have gone great lengths to get it back from me."

"So you didn't tell him about your fascinating history?" Snape asked in a dry sarcastic tone.

"No." Lupin responded. "Don't worry, I am very careful about what I tell of our school days, And I took the map."

"So it's a map." Snape stated.

"A very detailed map showcasing all of Hogwarts." Lupin confessed. "And that's really it, but rest assured, it's locked away, I don't want to make it easier for Harry to sneak around."

"Rather want to know where he is so Black wont miss again?" Snape hissed.

"I am _not_ in contact with Black." Lupin exclaimed now sounding actually annoyed. "This is not the first time Dumbledore offered me the position you know, I only took it because I wanted to protect Harry. I hate to admit it, but I am probably your best shot at finding out how Blacks mind work."

"Or." For a little while Snape let the word linger in the air. "You're working with Black. After he escaped he contacted you and now both of you are working together." he smoothly span the tale.

"Severus." Lupin's tone was suddenly a lot darker. "I know what you're thinking, but I assure you, I want to see Black back in Azkaban just as much as you do."

"I highly doubt that." Snape snorted.

"Oh?" Lupin asked. "Severus, consider this, you two _always_ hated each other and he tried to kill you, I should have known just from that what he would be able to do, he tried to kill you. And he used me to do it! I didn't want any part of it but I had no control! He used me for potential murder!" Remus exclaimed. "All ready then he betrayed me, that should have been enough to tell me everything, I should have seen it! I should have known! But I didn't and I'm sorry, I paid the price." He looked darkly at Snape. "Because he betrayed me again, only that time it was even worse, he betrayed James and Lily, I loved him as a brother and he betrayed me as much as them with that act." He looked extremely grim as he looked at Snape. "I never thought I would be able to really hate, but I have been proven wrong, so do you really want to put it to the test who wants more to make him pay?" Lupin himself started scowling. "Why not just work together for now so the bastard can come back behind bars where he belongs?"

Snape lifted an eyebrow. "That is what someone who tried to get on my good side, would say." He commented dryly.

"You're a skilled legimist, read my mind if you really fell the need." Lupin shrugged. For a moment there was silence, the two men looking grimly at each other. "It's honestly not surprising you have become a distrustful man, especially towards me, and I can't really fault you for it, I am even in debt to you right now, but Severus, honestly." He took a deep breath. "I know you probably don't care, but Lily held a hand over you for five years, for her, for that, can't we put aside difference to find Black? He _murdered_ her."

Snape looked blankly at him, his jaw tightened as his hands were clinched so hard that his knuckles turned white and his nails bored themselves into his hand palm.

"I see." Lupin exhaled deeply as it seemed like all tension left him. "Well, if you can't do it for her. Do it for yourself, this doesn't even have to be a favour to me, only to yourself. You have all the reasons in the world to hate him, so let us just get the bastard."

"Lupin." Snape hissed. "I hate you, I am tolerating you because I must, I am brewing the wolfbanes potion also only because that I must, I don't trust you and you will have to do a lot better than that to convince me that your not working with Sirius Black."

Lupin caught Snapes eyes so they were in complete eye contact, and then gave a short nod without breaking the eye contact. "Thank your for being honest." He said. "I don't particularly like you either, but I know I am in your debt." He shrugged likely. "And somehow, it's hard not to trust a man who is so hard on honest."

A grim smirk came across Snapes lips. "So we know where we stand." He snorted and turned around. "I'll be bringing the potion to your office tomorrow, and don't you forget." And he slammed the door after him as he went out of the room.

Left inside was Lupin who looked like he had been deflated as he sank down in the chair, looking empty out in the air. "And the past just insist upon coming back to haunt us." He muttered as he shook his head. "For ten years we were doing fine… But then I guess you can't run forever. Can you? Sirius?" He burrowed his face in his hands. "And to top it off I am talking to myself.. I am really starting to become insane, but honesty why Sirius? Why did it turn out this way?" he groaned as he massaged his neck. "Why did you do it? For twelve years I have tried to figure it out, and I am still just as clueless." He shook his head. "It just doesn't seem to fit." He pondered, and then he shook his head as he groaned, it was a ridicules notion anyway to think that Sirius would somehow be able to hear him.

And it was even more ridicules that he found a small part of himself hoping for it, a great twince of sheer guilt filled his stomach, he had such vital information and he should have handed it over long ago. He should tell Dumbledore about Blacks animagus form and he should at the very least take another teacher with him and have a look at the shrieking shack, the most likely place for Black to hide out.. He should be doing all of these things, and he knew it, for Harry at least he should do it. And for some odd ball reason he was unable to, he had tried but as it turned out, Lupin just couldn't do it. He had no doubt that he hated Sirius Black, the mere thought of the man made Lupin cringe, and yet it also made him confused and conflicted, he just didn't know what he was feeling or thinking.

With a last sigh, Lupin collected his things and with hunched shoulders and also left the room, to try and see if he could still make it for dinner, knowing that he should eat now that he had the chance, even though he didn't fell hungry at all.


	6. Year four - Constant vigilance

"Ready to receive the extra students?" Flitwick asked in a genuinely excited voice.

"Personally, Dumbledore's thought process is becoming more and more of a mystery to me." Snape snorted. "As if we didn't have enough tumult at this place without hosting a highly dangerous tournament." His jaw tightened. "You should think that with these three years where nothing but trouble have happened, that we would deserve a year to compose our selves."

McGonagall sighed deeply. "It's all for the sake of trying to teach the students how to accept each other." But from her tired tone, it was only to obvious that she was actually with Snape on that one.

Madame Hooch shook her head. "Question still is, will it help bring people together at all?" she asked. "It's still a contest, for years I have tried to remind the students that our Quidditch tournament also is just meant to be a friendly contest, supposed to bring the houses together." She seemed a little annoyed. "Yet the houses insist on doing the opposite and take it personally so they start fighting. With a passion." She seemed very annoyed.

At that McGonagall smirked a little. "Yes, I could see how they should realise that it's not to be taken personality that some people are gifted."

Snape looked annoyed at her, but then smirked grimly. "May I remind you." He started. "That the Quidditch cup have not been in your office for oh.. eleven years." He smirked. "Despite your claim that you have a secret weapon in Potter."

McGonagall clinged her hands as she let out an annoyed. "Hmpf!"

Hooch smirked. "See." She pointed out.

"So I guess the question is." Flitwick pondered. "What can we do to make our students remember this?"

"Well, regarding the boys Baubertox shouldn't be a problem." Sprout shrugged, to have a couple of teachers lift eyebrows at her. "They are teenagers." She said as if it explained everything.. and it actually sort of did.

"Durmerstrang would honestly also be the greater worry for me." McGonagall confessed. "Severus, you have known Karkaroff before haven't you?"

"I rather not speak of that." Snape cut her off. "All you need to know is that he is definetely not to be trusted."

"Severus, don't take this the wrong way." McGonagall smirked. "But in your book no one is to be trusted."

"And that's how I am still here." Snape flatly returned. "But mark my words that wit Karkaroff there is greater reason to be cautious, he is the slippery lying type only interested in his own fortune. And a coward at that."

"Severus." McGonagall said a little sternly. "He is the head master of the visiting school."

"And of course I am going to treat him accordingly." Snape returned a little annoyed. "I am not entirely manner less neither am I dimwitted."

"No one here would ever accuse you of being dim." Flitwick assured.

It was not lost on Snape that Flitwick hadn't even touched the manner less part, and he lifted an eyebrow in return, Flitwick merely shrugged. "We will be sure to keep in mind to look out for Karkaroff." He then assured.

Severus sighed deeply. "Listen, he really was a death-eater. He was there by the side of the dark lord, and one of the first ones to obey orders. Not for own glory but because he was a coward whom was afraid of the dark lords punishments. He's a turn coat, easily manipulated and easily threatened into doing another mans bidding." he exhalled deeply. "And the mark has been acting funny, so be cautious."

The teachers looked dead seriously at him, and they all nodded. It was only very rarely that Snape would share any information at all about his past among the death eaters, so when he did share this information it was obviously to be taken extremely seriously.

"Severus." McGonagall said calmly. "What do you think it means?"

"I can't be sure." Snape sighed. "Worst case scenario.. lets just hope it wont go that far." He said seriously. "But I think it's beyond important that we watch out for the signs."

Sprout lifted an eyebrow. "Constant vigilance?" she asked a little amused, making an obvious tribute towards their newest staff member, who wasn't in the room.

Snape was silent.

"You don't trust him either?" Hooch asked.

Snape looked darkly at her before uttering a simple. "No."

"He is an Auror." Sprout stated. "Why would he be any danger?"

"I don't see why being an Auror counts as anything in this regard." Snape shrugged. "Besides, he is acting odd."

"He has always been a very odd individual." McGonagall told. "And he has proved his worth many times, Dumbledore trusts him, so I think you can relax."

Snape didn't answer but looked darkly out in the room as he folded his hands.

Sprout shrugged. "Constant vigilance." She repeated.


	7. Year four - Something big

"Severus you look awful." Sprout commented. "Perhaps you should call it a night?"

"Can't." Snape hissed. "In all of my time teaching, I have never failed to return the essays on time, I refuse to let it happen now." he almost growled, determinedly going through the essay in front of him, before he hissed bringing a hand to his forehead.

"And what isn't done today will have to be done tomorrow." Moody snorted. "Postponing is a sloppy mans way of living."

McGonagall send Moody a stern look, which only made Moody shrug.

"You do look sort of ill." Burbag commented towards Snape. "Have you tried to ask Poppy? Maybe she could give you something."

Snape send her a very annoyed glare. "I am the potions master, she get her stock from me, do you really think I haven't thought of taking something?"

Burbag blinked. "So.. you are in pain?"

Snape halted, suddenly realising his slip and then tightened his jaw. "It's nothing." he then muttered.

"But Severus, if you're in pain." she started.

" _I said it is nothing!_ " Snape growled a little to loudly, his own pain clearly making him more sullen than usual. But as the teachers kept looking worried at him he took a deep breath, wanting them to stop looking at him that way. "My head just hurts a little, and I am sure it's only because of a little stress." he said in a calm restrained tone. "And if I don't finish these, it will only end up in more stress, so if you would just let me."

"We are all a bit stressed." McGonagall conceded. "we barely managed to get the dragons sorted out and now there is Yule ball to worry about."

Snape nodded a little relieved for her swift explanation so he wouldn't have to bother with any of his reasons, which were actually a lot.

"And we really wouldn't want Dumbledores little charity to get more ill, now would we?" Made-eye snorted.

Snape's head snapped up as he looked furiously at Moody. "And what is that supposed to mean?" he sneered.

"I think you know exactly what it means." Moody returned. "Or perhaps he is just keeping a dark wizard around in the hopes that that said dark wizard will repay the debt." his voice had a weird curiouse ring to it, which how ever was lost on Snape, who only needed so little to be tipped off.

Snape rose up, both his hands flat on the table as he looked furiously at Moody. "If you think.."

"Severus!" McGonagall cut him off before he even could get started. "Alastor!" she looked sternly at Moody. "We don't fight each other in here." She crossed her arms as she still looked sternly at Moody. "And we treat each other with respect." She said, capturing Moody's brown eye.. the big rotating blue one though, was aimed straight at Snape.

For a moment Snape still stood there, looking darkly straight back into Moody's blue eye, before clinching his jaw and slowly sitting down, his eyes never leaving Moody, he reached for his quill, and finally broke eye contact as Snape determinedly went back to the papers, though it only lasted around two seconds before Snape let out a great gasp in surprise, he tipped over the ink well over so the ink covered the parchments, as Snape grabbed his right forearm with his left hand as he hissed in obvious surprise and pain.

"Severus!" Burbag surprised called out for him.

Severus silenced as he wide-eyed stared at where he was gripping his arm, and then his black eyes turned to Moody, Moody who had a sadistic smile on his lips.. though he quickly covered up with the usual grim frown.

No one else saw it though, as they were busy looking at Snape.

"What happened?" McGonagall asked, while Sprout helpfully vanished the ink before it would do any damage to the essays.

Snape was silent, but a dark shadow was to be found on his face.

"Severus." McGonagall started. "Let me see." She laid out her hand with the pawn upwards, obviously intending for Snape to give her his arm.

Snape however instead retrieved his arm, pulling it up to his chest.

"Severus." McGonagall repeated, this time a little more sternly.

It took some moments, but finally Snape gave up his arm, to lay it on the table, as he looked at McGonagall.

Very carefully not to touch, McGonagall pulled the sleeve away. "Oh my." She muttered. "This really doesn't look good does it?"

On his arm was the mark, not entirely black but close enough and what more, it looked extremely annoyed, the flesh around it deep red looking like it could become infected at any moment, like a fresh burn wound and there were several blisters both open ones and closed ones, it was _not_ a pretty sight. "Will burn salve help?" McGonagall asked.

"No." Snape shook his head. "I tried it." He assured.

"Isn't there anything?" McGonagall asked.

"No." Snape took his arm back and quickly covered it up. "And I will be fine, _it_ will be fine." he muttered annoyed.

"And what if it doesn't?" Burbag asked. "What if.."

"Then it's no use worrying about it now when there is clearly nothing to be done about it." McGonagall told sternly. "As we have all ready established once this evening, we have far to much on our hands just as it is, all this tournament business and ministry insisting on meddling while we actually try to run the school as usual." She shook her head. "We should all have head aches."

"One will have to wonder." Sprout sighed. "What could possible be next?"

Snape remained affected though, and had obviously trouble finishing grading all the essays, several times McGonagall caught him in hissing or taking himself to the head, and as the hours drew late the teachers left for a well deserved rest, except Severus who was determined to be done.

"Severus." McGonagall sighed tired as they were alone. "It's not only the tournament distressing you is it?" she asked. "Your fear he is coming back?"

Defeated Snape laid down his quill as he closed his eyes, for a moment he was sitting in silence there as McGonagall glanced at his still frame. "Yes." He finally said in a dry croaked voice, it was like he had to use strenght to make his voice even so it wouldn't shake, so his fear wouldn't become obvious. "Karkaroff fears it to, and he fears that I have something to do with it, the officials here fears that the two of us is working together to bring Potter down and Moody." Snape furrowed his brows. "Something is wrong with him."

"He is very paranoid, but he is on our side." McGonagall assured.

"He knew." Snape suddenly stated. "That the mark would hurt earlier.. perhaps." Snape furrowed his brows. "It was even him who did it."

"Now who's the one who is paranoid?" McGonagall asked a little annoyed. "That is impossible and you very well know it."

"I am telling you Minerva, something is going on right beneath the surface, and it's huge." Snape informed.

"And I believe you." McGonagall assured. "But when there isn't anything to do, it's foolish to exhaust one self over it, if this is really so big we will probably all need to be at our fullest in the future."

"We need to uncover it and stop it _now_ before it comes that far." Snape argued. "And we can't afford to dismiss anything in that regard." He looked determinate at McGonagall. "Who put Potter's name in that goblet? What was the point of putting his name in the goblet? Why are the marks acting so strange? Both mine and Karkaroff's, where's Barty Crouch senior? What's wrong with him? What is going on around here?"

"And you don't fell that that is to many, to difficult questions to handle for one single person?" McGonagall asked.

"Doesn't it drive you insane to know that all of this is probably happening, right beneath our noses?" Snape asked, and then sighed as he shook his head defeated. "Call me mad, but I think it's all connected." he informed honestly.

"Severus listen." McGonagall sighed. "You look horrible, more dead than alive and you will need to rest if you don't want to faint in class in front of your students."

Snape gritted his teethes.

"I knew you would hate the thought of that." McGonagall smirked. "I know this seems like being lazy on the job, but just hand out a little fewer essays to the first to third years for a while, for your own good, if you can cut back on anything else, just do it, I promise I wont tell... if you need someone to cover for you" she trailed off.

"I will think about it." Snape mussed.

"And that is probably all your going to do." McGonagall almost rolled her eyes. "And if there is nothing to do, stop thinking about it, ever since you were eleven you have been thinking way to much and hard, it's not healthy"

Snape grimaced bitterly.

"I'll slip some sleeping potion in your drink at dinner if you get worse." McGonagall warned.

Snape looked disbelieving at her. "Don't you dare."

"Don't you dare giving up on us." McGonagall returned sternly. "Don't you dare to test your limits when there is no need." and then she shrugged. "Good night Severus." she at last greeted while heading out of the room.

"Good night." Snape shrugged, returning to the essays and sighed relieved as he realised that he had just finished the last one.


	8. Year five - Sticking up

McGonagall was most obviously furious as every movement in the simple motion of sipping to her tea and biting in a biscuit just spelled out anger.

"Careful." Flitwick said with a lifted eyebrow.

McGonagall send him a look.

"If you are going to hammer that down as hard as I think you will, the tea cup will break." Flitwick elaborated.

McGonagall took a deep breath and hissed through her teethe, as she obviously controlled herself into gently putting the tea cup down.

"Is she really getting that much on your nerves?" Flitwick asked. "This quick even."

"Just be glad you have never met Dolores Umbridge before." McGonagall hissed. "The woman is indescribable, and all ready this!" she held up a piece of pink parchment.

"So she will be visiting your class to?" Flitwick asked.

" _All_ of our classes." McGonagall stated annoyed. "And the Ministry have been sneaky enough to ensure that none of us can do anything about it."

"Yes Minerva, but she is only her and none of us are going to back away." Flitwick sighed.

"But it's Umbridge." Burbage cut in, to have Flitwick looking interested at her. "I have dealt with her before, she hates everything different! Muggles, squirbs, half breeds, anything that is not an pureblood exemplary wizard or witch." she told. "Remember that book I published that ended up in me being sued and send to court because I hinted in it that some muggles can have superior intellects to wizards, because they have to think in alternatives?"

McGonagall and Flitwick nodded, they both remembered it very well.

"That was her." Burbage told. "And she almost got me convicted to."

"For a book?" Hooch asked. "She would send you to Azkaban for a book?"

"Yes." Burbage nodded. "But on the bright side, that's when Dumbledore contacted me with the job offer, said he admired one who stood up for muggles and he could need someone like that." she smirked as she shook her head. "Good thing to, because I could never go back to work for the ministry."

"So bottom line, with all the colourful people residing in our staff, it looks grim." McGonagall stated grimly.

"We stand together." Flitwick assured. "As we always have."

And as right on cue, their newest addition in staff members opened the door, a girly giggle erupting from the toad looking Umbridge. "Uh." She let out the tone in a high pinched voice. "Is that earl gray? my absolute favourite." She exclaimed as she completely uninvited sat right down beside McGonagall reaching for a biscuit and the tea. "Minerva, how nice to see you." She almost sang.

"The feeling is mutual." There was dry sarcasm in every one of McGonagalls words. "May I help you with something?"

"Oh yes, as you know I am here to have a look at the people here at Hogwarts, you know, it is the most influential school in all of Britten." She chuckled while dipping her biscuit in the tea. "And it's all for the sake of the young minds of the wizarding world."

"Please." McGanogall said. "Get to the point so your concerns can be satisfied as quick as possible." Her hands was folded and clinched together. "We wouldn't want you to be unnecessary concerned."

"Very well, you are the head of Gryffindor correct?" Umbridge began.

McGonagall looked at Umbridge as if she was an idiot. "You are well informed." She told sarcastically.

"Is it not true Gryffindor and Slytherin always had a sort of.. rivalry?" Umbridge asked in a voice that was supposed to just be mildly interested.

"Apparently." McGonagall shrugged.

"And you don't always see… eye for an eye.." Umbridge continued.

"Your point?" McGonagall snapped annoyed.

Umbridges face retrieved in annoyance as well, before she controlled herself and came back to her little girl charm. "Is it not true that you and Severus Snape had some.. differences in the past?"

"Yes." And McGonagall shrugged. "What about it?"

"Does it not concern you to have a former death-eater teaching at the school?"

McGonagall shrugged. "Not really, I know Severus."

"I've heard, purely unofficially of cause, that his teaching abilities leaves a lot to be desired." Umbridge told. "And that he is absolutely not to be trusted, that his paranoia is of danger to the school and the people in it, that he is a unpleasant individual and that he is only here because of someone's… _belief_ in second chances."

"Well, _unofficially_ speaking of cause." McGonagall said in a calm voice before her voice grew louder and more stern. "You can tell that person that Severus proved his worth as a teacher long ago, as every single student in his N.E.W.T classes always gets instantly head hunted by the highest respected potion laboratories around the world, you can tell, that he is an extremely trust worthy person, efficient, you can tell, that he makes the school safer to be in just by being here _and!_ " she sternly had to let the word linger while she took a breath. "You can tell, that he is here because he _proved_ himself a long time ago, not because he needs a second chance." And McGonagall sat back crossing her arms, her mouth a thin line as her eyes burned with anger.

Umbridge seemed to had given up all pretenses of being cheerful as she looked like she had just swallowed a dusin of lemons, resolutely she turned to Burbag, taking in a deep breath as she tried to compose herself. "Slytherin is known for having little tolerance towards muggles." She said. "You have nothing to say about that?"

"No." Burbag shrugged indifferently.

"Filius dearest." Umbridges ugly head turned towards the little man. "Has dear Severus really never been of trouble, I was left to think you had some difference in the past."

"Well, yes that is true." Flitwick mussed. "Though, I sort of agree with Minerva, in fact I wholely agree with Minerva." He shrugged.

Umbridge's face was in dark folds. "Madame Hooch." She at last said. "Is it not true he gives unfair advantages for his quidditch team.. cheat?"

"Depends of what you call cheating." Hooch mussed. "Speaking as a former professional player.. no, he has never cheated or endangered any Quidditch players, just allowed them to perform best possible, push them a little, as any real coach would have done."

"And your all absolutely sure of this?" Umbridge hissed annoyed, they all shrugged indifferently.

The door opened as an extremely nervous looking student peered inside. "I'm really sorry to disturb professors, but Billy has somehow turned into a porcupine, and we don't know how to fix it!"

"Good of you to come to me." McGonagall nodded appreciating as she stood up. "Lets have it sorted out at once then."

"Wait." .. it took a while for McGonagall to even notice that Umbridge had actually stood up, first as Umbridge moved towards the student was it obvious. "Tell me dearest, how is classes with Severus Snape?"

Confused the student looked at Umbridge, before licking his lip. "Tough sir." He answered hesitating. "he sets high standards."

"You fell he is ever unfair?"

McGonagall looked very saying at the student, who swallowed in return before answering. "Well.." the student began, only to receive a slight nudge from McGonagall. "No sir, just making sure that our potions becomes as good as possible.

"Very well." Umbridge said in a dark tone. "You better go then, and figure out how the student could possible just become a porcupine," she breathed. "It's a signs of unresponsive teaching." She made aware.

McGonagall merely send Umbridge a stern look as she guided the student outside.

And all ready Umbridge had another name up her sleeve. "Rubeus Hagrid." Umbridge muttered. "Half giant? Isn't that.. dangerous." She looked at the remaining in the staff room. She giggled lightly. "It almost seems like he is being kept from me, either that or invisibility must be a half giant ability I was not aware of."

"No he's on business." Flitwick waved her off. "For Dumbledore."

"You're sure?" Umbridge asked. "That he is not kept away from the seeing eyes of the ministry?"

"He is the best key keeper I can remember." Flitwick shrugged. "Always have his chores done in finest order, loyal and hard working."

"But has a love for very dangerous creatures." Umbridge drawled.

"And lucky to, then we don't have to worry about the things in the forbidden forest." Flitwick told. "He have held them in check for years, with our last key keeper there would always be some sort of creature getting into grounds at least once every half year, but with Hagrid, it has just never happened."

"Sounds like he are working with some of these… creatures." Umbridge commented.

"Perhaps." Flitwick shrugged. "But you must admit, that takes skill!"

Once again the door opened and a black dressed figure stepped in, only to have his eyes land on Umbridge and he turned around obviously meaning to get out once again, as quick as possible.

"Were you looking for something dear Severus?" Umbridges voice was all girly and cheery again.

"Apparently not." He hissed.

"Good then, so you're not busy?" She asked.

"I _am_ busy." He hissed.

"Splendid! Why don't you sit down so we can chat?" Umbridge asked.

Only to unwillingly did Snape do as he was told, and sat down with a look of pure dislike painted all over his face.

"Well, you are the head of Slytherin aren't you?" she asked.

"And you came to that conclusion all by yourself?" Snape drawled.

That didn't stop Umbridge however. "You seem to have a reputation of, let us say, having little patients with Gryffindor?"

"They tend to act before they think, which is both inconsiderate and arrogant." He flat out stated.

"You think their head of house has perhaps something to do with it?" Umbridge asked.

Severus lifted an eyebrow. "I think Minerva McGonagall is a highly fair and responsible person who is equally fair towards everyone, and her house is lucky to have her."

Umbridge looked like she had been kicked right in the stomach. "You have been known to talk ill about the half giant." She almost failed in returning to her sweet tone.

Snapes black eyes looked darkly at her. "Have I?" he asked.

"You tell me." Umbridge challenged.

Snape merely shrugged. "No, I don't think so." He said in a almost lazy voice.

"Seer Trelawney then." Umbridge asked. "I have on record that you have called her an imbecile."

"Well, she gave me a prophecy I didn't think was true." Snape continued. "As it turned out it was, so I respectfully retrieve the statement."

Annoyed Umbridge stood up. "Very well." She had given up all pretenses. "So this is how we play, good luck with that." And she marched for the door, to slam it after her.

"For the record." Snape stated to the people in the room. "Sybil most certainly _is_ an imbecile who for the most part is a phoney, our key keeper _i_ _s_ a buffoon and Minerva _is_ an annoying know it all." He rose up from the chair.

"And you really are a very sullen man." McGonagall returned as she leaned against the door frame.

Snape gritted his teethes, to the amusement of the teachers in the room.

"What an idiot." Burbage smirked. "She actually thought we were going to sell each other out!"

McGonagall smirked. "It's good to know that that is never going to happen."


	9. Year five - A meeting that didn't happen

It was strictly unofficial of cause, and should anyone ask purely coincidental, that every single one of the teachers safe their "special guest tutor." Was collected in the staff room.

Also was it pure coincidental that McGonagall was sitting by the end of the table, which would, had this of cause been any sort of meeting, have indicated that she was the spokes person, by her left hand sat Flitwick who innocently was reading a book, by her right sat Snape who looked as gaunt and sallov as ever, perhaps even more, Sprout who sat right next to whim sadly noted that the last four years, ever since Potter started school things had been getting to the man and he had just become worse and worse, each year more annoyed and sullen, each year obviously more tired.

In front of Sprout and beside Flitwick sat Hagrid, who seemed to be pretty nervous to have been invited into this circle, perhaps he still needed reminding that he was a teacher now, not only a key keeper, and so the table went on, even Sybill Trelawney had come down to from her tower, and glistened from all of her jewels, her over dimensioned eyes looked at McGonagall.

"So." McGonagall started. "How many are actually on official probation?" she asked, of cause out of purely 'mildly curiosity'

and a surprisingly large number of hands were reached up, Flitwick, Snape, Sprout, Hagrid, Trelawney, Burbag and McGonagall herself.

Hooch let out a laugh. "Over half the staff?" she asked. "A team needs all the players to succeed, how would she think she would be able to run the school with half a staff?"

"Not to mention that she put all the head of houses on probation." Flitwick shook his head.

"Now that is just madness." Burbag uttered.

"Quite." McGonagall cut in. "I think we have all agreed upon that, how ever what needs consideration now is prober guide lines for us." She said. "No I know this can be difficult for some, but she is able to throw any one of us out if she gets a reason that is good enough." She sternly peered over her glasses. "Over goal number one is to _not_ give her a reason."

"You mean." Burbag looked disbelieving at her. "Sitting around doing nothing? Pretending to be good people?"

"Precisely." McGonagall told sternly.

"And it's certainly worth to remember." Snape gave a grim smirk. "That much more damage can be done silently from inside than yelling loudly from the outside."

"But we wont even do that." McGonagall said sternly, Severus rolled his eyes. "I mean it, we are here for the students, to guide them through school what ever school is, and what is important is that we are here to help them, if we get thrown out we will be of no use at all." She stated. "If I hear of anyone here actively going against Umbridge, I shall be solely disappointed."

Silently people nodded in agreement.

"All right then." McGonagall nodded. "Our other objective, which is actually even more important." She looked down the table. "Keeping the students out of trouble as well." She said. "Umbridge can and will destroy them given a reason, and trying to object is foolish, don't do that, just prevent her from getting to them in the first place." She folded her hands. "Try and make the students understand this, especially head of houses should talk to their students, some all ready am deep in to trouble."

Severus lifted an eyebrow as he looked at her. "As I have been lead to understand, only students from _your_ house have been in trouble so far." He pointed out. "Students from my house seems to be able to at least stay out of trouble."

"Not now Severus." McGonagall sighed, bringing a hand to her forehead. "This meeting is not about Potter, and I take responsibility."

"Minerva, everything is always about Potter." Snape counter argued.

"All right maybe it is." She breathed tiredly. "But he is still my responsibility and none of yours, if his path suddenly cross with one of you, the objective with him is the same as with every other student." She tightened her jaw. "Keep him out of trouble!"

"Do you even believe in that for a second?" Snape asked with a sour frown on his face.

"Severus, please." McGonagall looked with a mixture of annoyance and exhaustion at him.

"I have foreseen great danger in the child's near future." Trelawney began. "To keep an eye on him will be wise, though I am afraid there is nothing to do." She sighed deeply. "The dear boy is simply destined to die at a young age." She shook her head so her many pearls ringed. "How tragic."

For two moments McGonagall looked in silence at her, before uttering at. "Thank you Sybil, that was most enlightening." And it was only to obvious that she didn't mean it.

"Personally I foresee that Potter will turn into a pink bonnie, but that would actually be unrealistic." Snape shrugged, making McGonagall unwillingly smile and Trelawney looking scorned at him. "The boy who lived, targeted by the dark lord die at a young age? What a surprise that would be." He muttered in a extremely dark tone.

"Hopefully we will be able to prevent that." McGonagall returned to her stern tone.

"Ye'r don't really think that." Hagrid asked in a shaken voice. "That 'arry will.. will."

"No, no, of cause not." McGonagall assured. "Potter is safe, and as he is a student of Hogwarts we will all work on the objective of keeping him safe. All right?"

Hagrid nodded while swallowing.

"So does everyone understand how they must act?" she asked, and there was a murmer of agreement. "And there are no objections?" she asked. "If you got any questions at all, now is the time to ask!"

"Where is Dumbledore?" it was Sprout who asked. "He is gone far to much, where is he?"

McGonagall took in a deep breath. "You all in here know that he-who-must-not-be-named truly is back." She said in a serious tone. "And that is all you need to know." Once again she looked out in the room. "Any other questions?"

The response was silence.

"Good then." McGonagall nodded. "I'll see you at break fast tomorrow." And chairs scrambled while people left, though there was no murmur of voices as they were all silent, as if they would make sure not to be caught of all having been in the staff room at the same time.

Only two remained, McGonagall who looked thoughtful out in the air, and Snape that now when left alone looked like he could drop dead at any given moment and just wanted some time to compose himself.

"Severus." McGonagall sighed. "What do you really think?"

"I think in all due time Umbridge will have been unimportant, she is merely the ministries desperate attempt on making something untrue, that is true." He shrugged "And once it's out there, this will seem minor, how ever that does not change what a pain it is now."

"You really think that Potter will be a problem?" she asked.

"You know that I do." Snape snorted. "The boys inconsideration and brash behaviour will no doubt lead to disaster, this year also."

"Thank you for not calling him a spoiled brat." McGonagall returned.

Snape looked sourly at her. "When you all ready know what I think, why bother to ask?"

"Your not very nice when your tired." McGonagall returned dryly. "Severus, you know why I ask, I know that your observations can be imperative."

"I don't know what more there is to say." Snape shrugged. "As yourself made so clear, the situation is right now very delicate and we must act carefully, I for one am not intending to give her any reasons to go after me or my students, I have enough to deal with without her snuffing around." Tired he rose from his seat. "Night Minerva."

"Good night." McGonagall returned and sighed deeply as she leaned back in her seat.. why did she ask him? She had lied because the truth were even simpler than that, she knew that if he didn't unload unto her, whether it was conscious or unconscious, he wouldn't unload to anyone and he would be a lot more likely to break. And McGonagall certainly didn't want that for him.


	10. Year five - Potter trouble

You should think a whole would soon burn itself into the magazine Snape was reading, the way his intense eyes looked almost sickly manically at the text, skipping over while his hands tightened and crumbled the issue while he was reading, his gaunt face looking a sallov as ever.

"Unofficially speaking of cause." Flitwick friendly chatted to McGonagall. "That was a smart bold move."

"We are speaking very unofficially of cause." McGonagall looked up in the ceiling. "It certainly was." she sighed. "But is a head of house allowed to wish that this will be the end of it?" she asked exhausted.

Flitwick looked sympathetically at her. "I'm afraid we both know it's unrealistic."

"I'm trying, i'm really trying to make him see reason, but the boy is just so passionate." she pulled of her spectacles so she could rub her eyes. "How he even manage so much trouble on a Owl year is simply beyond me."

"Inconsiderate." Snape started as he with a force greater than necessary threw the copy of the quibbler down on the table. "Spoiled, arrogant behaviour! _Idiot!_ "

"I take it you don't like the article." Flitwick smirked.

Snape send him an annoyed dark look. "I can't believe your speaking highly of such behaviour." he started. "Do you think this is a game? Does the brat?"

"No one think this is a game." McGonagall told seriously. "And neither does Potter, he is as much affected by the events as anyone."

"And to take a guess your making this slide as well?" Snape sneered. "Not even going to reprimand him?"

"He hasn't done anything wrong." McGonagall told. "even Umbrigde has yet to make a degree that makes it illegal for students to anticipate interviews, and Potter even did so on his spare time. I got nothing to reprimand him for."

"This sort of behaviour is unacceptable!" Snape pointed down on the magazine. "It's attracting none desired attention to our school, and is this diar situation, we really don't need any more to give us a bad reputation."

"Now, that is a point." Flitwick admitted. "But it still remains, Potter did nothing wrong."

"If Potter was in _my_ house." Snape stated.

"But he is _not_ , Severus." McGonagall stopped him even before he could get started. "He is in _mine_ , and I deal with him as _I_ see fit." She crossed her arms and gave him a stern look, telling that he was only that close at over stepping his boundaries.

" _Fine!_ " Snape spat as he stood up. "Then you deal with him, or rather you're not dealing with anything, but then don't come to me when disaster happens by the end of the year, _again!_ " and he walked through the door to slam it behind him.

Flitwick stared a little wide-eyed after him. "In all of my years." He furrowed his brows as he looked down. "I know Severus always had a temper, but.."

"He is under a strain." McGonagall exhausted slunk down in the chair.

"Is it true?" Flitwick asked. "That he is working as a double agent?"

warily McGonagall looked around, before flicking her wand at the door so suddenly a concealment charm was placed upon it, so no one could listen in, and they would be warned in time did someone open the door. First then, she nodded.

"No wonder he is under a strain." Flitwick sighed.

"To top it off, anything regarding Potter and Voldemort is extremely touchy subjects for him." McGonagall sighed.

Defeated Flitwick shook his head. "What can we do?" he asked.

"Nothing." McGonagall flat out stated. "If there is something Severus does not want its pity, it's the worst thing you could give him." And then she folded her hands as she leaned over the table. "How many in the staff suspects he's a double agent?" she asked.

Flitwick gave her a strained look. "Everyone knows that he was a death-eater, everyone knows he has the mark." He looked grimly. "And everyone knows that every-one with the mark is by definition owned by Voldemort." His hands were a little tightened. "the only way Severus could go to death-eater meetings and still be one of us were if he was spying, and if he didn't go to death eater meetings, he would have been dead by now."

"So everyone knows." McGonagall defeated stated.

"All of the staff." Flitwick nodded. "But don't worry, none of us doubt that he is not on our side, we have known him to long now and even more importantly." He said. "Dumbledore clearly believes in him, so anyone who had the tiniest doubts before, don't because of Dumbledore, as long as Dumbledore says Severus can be trusted, Severus is trusted, by everyone." He said in a firm voice before going into a more familiar tone. "And you still have no idea what Dumbledore actually is doing do you?"

"No." McGonagall stated. "Not a clue." And she turned around to lift the charm on the door, indicating that the conversation was now, closed.


	11. Year five - Fireworks

Different kinds of bangs could still be heard all over the school ground, and usually was it followed by big colourful explosions. Rockets was flying around leaving a trail of sparks and noises, and though this had been going on for almost five hours, the teachers cheerfulness were only to ill concealed despite the fact they were there to make an example for the students, and in the staff room McGonagall finally threw away her usual stern facade to break into a grin. Which were quickly captured by Sprout.

"My Minerva, your house indeed some to be the house of the trouble makers." She chuckled cheerfully.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." McGonagall firmly straightened out her slightly messed up robe.

Hooch shook her head. "And I presume you don't conduct such behaviour?"

"Why would I care? the culprits are none of my responsibility." McGonagall smirked. "Not even students you know." Right then a rocket flew through the door and over McGonagalls shoulder to start circling inside of the staff room, making huge noise.

Sprout looked at McGonagall. "Call Umbridge?" she asked.

McGonagall shook her head. "Why invite that woman in here again?" she asked and flicked her wand at the rocket to have it immediately disappear.

"Come on, be honest Minerva." Hooch leaned over resting on her alboves. "How many times did you call for her to stop the rockets?" she asked.

Warily McGonagall looked over her shoulder, as if she was afraid someone would hear. "Only twice." She at last admitted.

Sprout could barely conceal her grin, and McGonagall lifted an eyebrow. "I have lost count." Sprout told, her grin breaking through. "So many of the plants were upset, the devils snare, the baby mandrakes. The dragontidsel was so scared that it released at least one galleon of it's liquid." Sprout shrugged faking defeat. "And I was not sure what I was allowed to clean up before the Headmistress would point towards one of her degrees, I would so hate to be of unnecessary trouble."

"I was not sure if I was allowed to ward the Quidditch pitch." Hooch nodded. "I mean, flying around with the chance of a rocket exploding into the face of one of the flyers, that wouldn't be safe, now would it?"

"Absolutely not." McGonagall agreed from her sitting position. "Were she able to come up with something?" She asked with a mildly interested voice.

"No." Hooch smiled. "seemed like she was to busy, something about Severus calling her for an immediate emergency regarding a potions accident." She furrowed her brows. "Funny, he didn't know either if he was allowed to clean up fifteen cauldrons of slubbervorm salvea" and she broke into a laugh. "He made sure his class made that specific potion, I am sure of it, the smell just never goes away if you try and touch it."

Sprout shook her head. "When even that man is taking advantage, it's a miracle that Umbridge is still here."

"He have decided to sulk anyway though." McGonagall told in amused tone. "But I suppose that makes him the only one acting as we all should."

the three woman only had to shortly look at each other, before all turning away trying to conceal their amused smirks.

"He is mad?" Sprout asked as she finally turned back.

"What do you honestly think?" McGonagall returned.

"He is absolutely furious." Sprout stated.

McGonagall sighed deeply despite the still permanent smile on her face.

"Does he even know how to take a break?" Hooch asked.

"No" McGonagall answered shortly, before smirking. "but he loves being allowed to make Umbridge suffer." she whispered, just in time for the door to open again which allowed another rocket to flew into the room, only to have the little man in the door flick his wand at it so it disappeared.

"A miracle has happened." Flitwick stated.

"How so?" McGonagall asked.

"Umbridge actually came down from her throne to ask for help." Flitwick told. "Imagine, asking for help!"

Hooch shrugged. "It's a wonder she isn't crying and begging around now."

"Erh.. well.. actually." Flitwick flustered, to the great amusement of the other teachers.

"Good." McGonagall stated. "I was sincerely starting to doubt that she was human."

"I'm sure she is not human." Sprout injected, and Hooch tried to hide her laugh behind her hand.

Amused McGonagall shook her head. "As long as we try and be an example for the students." She said, giving her approval for this special occasion only. And she looked up. "And we really must try and assume a routine.." she let the words linger before finishing. "Tomorrow." She ended. "Tomorrow I will expect you to help getting the school back on track."

"Of cause." Sprout nodded. "Tomorrow."


	12. Year six - trust

"Ah, it really is good to be back." The large man almost laughed, his demeanour truly both open and warm. "You know I would have come back years ago had it not been because the position was filled by such a devoted man." Slughorn told seriously. "Severus you sly devil, taking an old mans position and not giving it up, that was unkind."

Snape sitting far away, by the other end of the table merely rolled his eyes and continued grading without even commenting.

Slughorn didn't seem to mind the rude behaviour though as he gladly continued. "Tell you what, I have my slug-club started again, why don't you come down for a glass? Socialise a little, once a member always welcome." He promised.

At that Snape did look up, and send Slughorn a dark look that told everything, it was definite _no_.

"Come on." Slughorn encouraged. "It's only the foolish men who turns down a glass of my special fire-whiskey, and I know for a fact your not foolish dear boy, always the smart one."

Snapes jaw tightened as his black eyes still looked as darkly at Slughorn.

Defeated McGonagall shook her head. "I'll have a glass a weekend." She promised. "But I wont come to any meeting."

"Of cause of cause." Slughorn beamed. "You shall be most welcome."

"And nothing of the cheap things you keep around." She told. "Other people you can might convince, but I know your stock."

"I could never fool myself into thinking that I could trick you." Slughorn blinked. "Still the same I see."

"Of cause." McGonagall answered. "Same as you, I can see you haven't been lacking."

"Oh no." Slughorn laughed. "Nothing at all, my retirement have been rather sweet, though also kind of dull." He told. "that is except for the last couple of months." He shuddered lightly. "ever since you-know-who came out in the open I simply haven't had a moments peace! But beside that.. I could use the busy life of Hogwarts, it will be a nice change of pace to have something going on."

Both McGonagall and Flitwick looked tired by the mere mention, surprised Slughorn looked at them, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Flitwick took a breah. "Remember when the chamber was opened?"

Slughorn swallowed, nodding slightly.

"Imagine something similar happen, or at least something with bearings just a heavy, every single year, five years in a row." Flitwick ended.

And Slughorn suddenly seemed a lot paler by that piece of information.

"Each year more exhausting than the last." McGonagall added in a tired voice.

Even Snape now stopped his work and looked up, listening intensely to the conversation.

"And now with you-know-who out in the open." Flitwick sighed and shook his head. "One have to wonder, what could possible be next?"

And at that Snape looked down again as he looked with dead black eyes at the parchment in front of him, clinching his hands together so the quill in his right hand snapped in two before he realised he had it there.

"Well, with Dumbledore here I'm sure it's all fine." Slughorn told, unknowingly making Snape wince.

"Of cause." McGonagall nodded. "That he protects the school is at least one stable factor, thank god."

And Snape rose from his chair, collecting the parchments under his arm.

"Severus." McGonagall looked surprised at him. "You just came in. are we really that disturbing?" she offered a slight smirk, clearly exspecting him to somehow retort.

Snape's black eyes moved to McGonagall's faced, and lingered there for a while, his entire face totally expressionless, before his eyes moved to the back wall of the room, his face still as emotionless as ever. "No." he said in a monotone voice. "Excuse me." And he walked out of the room, silently closing the door after him.

Surprised Flitwick and McGonagall looked at each other.

"What does this mean?" Flitwick asked.

"I don't know." McGonagall honestly answered.

"The lad was always a silent type." Slughorn shrugged. "Of cause I haven't seen him since he was seventeen, but I definitely remember him as being very silent."

"Horace, that was way back." McGonagall told. "He is definitely not the same as back then, and that there was not like him." she hinted at the door.

"Ever since he finally go the position as defense teacher." Flitwick furrowed his brows. "He has been acting like this."

"That's another thing." McGonagalls jaw was firm. "You know as well as I that that position is indeed cursed." She informed. "I had the feeling Dumbledore refused to give the position up to Severus precisely because Severus is to big an aid to the school, then why now? When we obviously need him more than ever, not that I am not glad you're back Horace, but one is left to wonder." she told.

"I don't know." Flitwick looked tired at McGonagall. "Minerva, you have a greater understanding of what is going on than anyone else at the school, because you work with Dumbledore in what ever he is doing against he-who-must-not-be-named, the rest of us are kept in the dark." He told. "Last year, and the year before that big things also happened here no one in the staff knew anything about, before after it happened, and that's also how it is now. We just don't know."

"I don't know much either." McGonagall confessed. "Dumbledore doesn't tell much."

"He never has." Slughorn told. "Even when he was not a head master, he was a secretive man."

"Then I guess there is only one thing to do." McGonagall stated. "We just need to trust him, and trust that he knows what he is doing."


	13. Year six - Judas

" _What is the meaning of this?_ " Snape almost stormed into the staff room, his black menacing eyes immediately zooming to Burbage, in three quicke strides he was right in front of her and threw down a piece of paper.

Startled Burbagee looked up at him, where-after both she and McGonagall sitting next to her, Trelawney who had moved down from the tower for some sort of reason, and Flitwick looked down at it to see what it was.

The title wrote clearly with big fat black letters. ` _Why muggles and wizard kind are equals, by Charity Burbage_ ´

Burbage looked up from the paper, and met Snapes stare. "I don't see why it matters, it's not my first paper published you know."

"I was lead to believe that it was published yesterday!" Snape pointed down at the date, which clearly enough, dated the day before.

"So?" Burbage asked.

"Are you mad?" Snape hissed. "Are you _that_ desperate to _die?_ "

"Severus you're overacting." Burbage told him.

" _No!_ " Snape yelled into her face, making Burbage retrieve backwards. "You're not getting it, are you!? Behaviour like this will get you _killed!_ "

"Severus, I am here at Hogwarts." Burbage assured. "Dumbledore would never let death-eaters into the castle."

And Snape looked disbelieving at her, seemingly having run out of words though not frustration. " _You_." He started, in a voice so dangerouse that it almost sounded un-earthly.

" _Severus!_ " McGonagall cut in. "A moment please." And she took him by the shoulder to firmly shove him out the door to follow and closed the door behind them so they were alone in the hall way. "Severus, what's happening with you?" she asked.

"I don't know what you mean." Snape returned firmly.

"To hell you do." McGonagall told, making Snape lift his eyebrows by the surprise of her uncharacteristic swearing. "All year you have not been acting like you, you stopped socialising or having any sense of humour, you don't eat, you don't talk, you're not you."

"Minerva, when have I ever done much of those things?" Snape asked. "Your imagining things."

McGonagalls mouth was a thin line in her face. "You used to be in the staff room a couple of times a week." She pressed on. "And this is the first time I see you in there in months, Severus!" she cut in. "What is it that is so bad that you can't even look me in the eye?" she asked looking at his face, and true enough.. Snape did not look into her eyes, not even now.

"It's nothing." Snape assured.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that again." McGonagall asked.

" _I don't need your help!_ " Snape roared out his anger.

McGonagall didn't even flinch, she stood up stern and straight and looked hard on Severus's face. "I would tell you to control yourself, but even seeing you having a tantrum is relieving, Severus, there is no weakness in admitting that Dumbledore is asking to much of you."

"You have no idea." Snape muttered, dropping his gaze.

"And Severus." McGonagall was clearly choosing her word carefully. "You can.."

"Don't." Snape cut her of. "Just leave me alone."

"Okay." McGonagall nodded opening the door. "But you know, even the strongest, bravest, men can break."

From the other side of the door, sat Trelawney, her huge bug like eyes looking all the way across the room starring right at Snape. "The disciple Judas betrayed the man who protected him and loved him, all though Judas loved that man he betrayed above anything else."

Snape just starred completely blankly at her.

"Yes yes, and next thing you will be telling me that Jesus is walking among us." McGonagall rolled her eyes as she regained her seat. "Or wait, somebody in here _is_ Judas hiding an axe in his or her robes ready to chub the rest of us into pieces."

"Hmpf." Annoyed Trelawney lifted her nose towards the sky. "Some will never have a understanding for the mysterious, but don't come crying to me when disaster happens, I am telling you." she made a dramatic gesture. "I can sense is, fait is in the room!"

Snape still looked just as blankly at the scenery, just in time for the door to close on it's own accord, separating him from the sight.


	14. Year six - Night of change

It was the middle of the night, the corridors of Hogwarts was all in semi darkness, as the moon shone strongly from a cloud free sky, bringing it's cold pale light upon the castle.

Foot steps were echoing in the corridor, soft food steps as the person walking around were wearing soft night slippers, a cold white light was erupting from the wand as the woman looked around and collected her scotch patterned robe closer around her, before quickly moving on.

A dark shadow also loomed the castle, he however stood completely still and thus disappeared completely into the shadows of the great stone castle, only as the elderly woman came walking in fast strides, did he step out of the shadow.

Shocked McGonagall jumped back as she saw him. "Severus?" McGonagall surprised voice rang from the hallway. "I didn't see you! What on earth are you doing up at this late hour?"

"I could might ask you the same question." Snape returned. Unlike McGonagall who was in night wear, Snape was fully dressed in his usual black robe.

Defeated McGonagall let out a sight. "You know as a teacher sometimes I just get the feeling when something is going on in the castle that shouldn't." she smirked a little. "I just have this sense there is something happening, so I thought maybe some students."

"I know what you mean." Severus muttered looking around. "It definitely fells like something is going to happen,"

"It's not just a prank this time though." McGonagall mussed. "The castle is almost shaking all by itself."

"Indeed... This feeling is." Severus halted, even he seemed to be a bit taken aback. By this overwhelming feeling of something foreboding. It didn't help much though that McGonagall had no idea what so ever what this could mean. In fact... she was glad to see Severus felt it to. Then she could rest assured she hadn't just made it up... hopefully.

Severus's black eyes for a moment studied McGonagalls face. "I suppose.. it happens when it happens and we will figure it out then." He said carefully.

"Severus." Minnerva lifted an eyebrow. "You know something?" she asked.

Severus didn't answer, his face expression remaining blank.

"You do." It was a flat defeated statement. "What is it?"

Severus looked at her, his face in the same sort of folds. "I am forbidden to say." He said.

"Again?" Minnerva asked. "Well, I can promise that if you tell me I wont give the head master any reason to think that you told me."

Severus smirked.. for a moment looking genuinely amused, even appreciating, he turned around and gazed out of the window, looking up at the stars before his hand was reached out to touch the stone wall where it rested for a while before sliding down, before his gaze returned to McGonagall. "Do you think it will ever end?" he asked sincerely. "Will we live to see another day without the dark lord?"

Minerva looked oddly at him, but then shrugged. "Yes." She said surely.

"What makes you so sure he wont be the one to win?" Severus asked. "And change everything."

"Life experience." Minerva answered. "Don't worry, we will live to see the day, and it wont be that long, things like this never last for long. People like him never last long."

Severus nodded, not showing any expression on his face, but looked down. "I know we had a lot of differences in the past." He hesitated.

McGonagall shook her head smiling faintly. "yes, and we will have a lot of differences in the future. This past year when we almost never had an argument was quite frankly unnerving."

Snape blinked, and a faint smile was again to be traced on his lips. "Regardless." He sighed. "I just..."

"Hush Severus." McGonagall told. "I don't know what have brought you into this mood, but I am sure what ever you want to say you would regret it in the morning, and as far as I am concerned, we are friends, you don't need this."

Defeated Snape shook his head.

A great scream sounded from outside, shocked McGonagall and Snape exchanged looks before storming for the window, sticking their heads out and looked upwards, towards the voices. "The astronomy tower!" Snape exclaimed as they quickly retrieved. "Bellatrix." He uttered as the same voice rang through the night air again.

"Hurry." McGonagall exclaimed all ready on her way to the astronomy tower.

"wait." Snape stopped her by grabbing her shoulder in a firm grip. "We need back-up, go call upon the order, I'll go up there." he let go of her.

McGonagall nodded, and turned around to quickly run in the direction of her offices.

"Minerva!" Snape called out again.

Surprised McGonagall halted and turned around, to look at Snape.

Snape swallowed as he stood stone still. "Take care of yourself."

McGonagall looked at him in utter astonishment and confusion, for a moment seemingly having been shocked into a halt, but at last she composed herself and nodded slowly, for a lingering moment, less than a second really, met Snapes black eyes. And and turned around again to run away, and Snape did equally so sprinting in the other direction so they were both running each their separate way.


	15. Year seven - prepairing for war

There was an unusual quiet about the Hogwarts hallways, accompanied by a sense of emptiness. Only teachers, most of whom had decided to stay for the entire duration of the holidays, stopped the castle from being entirely deserted.

They were waiting in anxious anticipation, not really sure what to do, not sure what was coming. All they knew was that _something_ would happen, and that when it did, there was nothing they could do about it. Instead, they tried there best to cope, reassuring eachother, attempting to do what they had always done, to be there for the students when they arrived in only to short a time.

They couldn't help but feel a little useless with the students not around. The staff room was almost empty, and they were beginning to feel frustrated with the lack of things to do, some were even beginning to wish they had marking. Without the students, Hogwarts didn't feel like Hogwarts anymore, it was too quiet, eerily so, and a sense of helplessness & unease was settling itself among the teachers.

In the staff room, a single figure now sat in total stillness, her eyes looking empty, pure exhaustion dominating her posture. Slowly, McGonagall's eyes wandered towards the chair on her right side, her train of thought seeming to stop as she closed her eyes and tightened her jaw.

"Minerva?" Flitwick's surprised call came from the open door.

McGonagall sighed. "Hello Filius." she greeted.

"Back all ready?" he asked.

"Yes, I think it's best I just stay here from now on." McGonagall answered. "Voldemort owns the ministry, we were lucky to be allowed control of the school long enough to send the students home for the holidays. Gesture of good will from Voldemort I suppose." she grimaced bitterly.

Flitwick moved inside and placed himself in the chair to McGonagall's right without any hesitation, not looking nearly as impressive as its previous occupant did, before looking for her awaiting an explanation.

"Filius." McGonagall's voice broke. "Charity..." she was fighting for the words."She's dead."

Flitwick looked at her, his eyes widening. "They found her?" he asked.

"No." McGonagall shook her head as she drew a handkerchief. "There is no body." she responded as she wiped her eyes.

"Then how do you know?" Flitwick asked, shaken. "Voldemort likes to make mind tricks; maybe she just ran off? She could be in hiding?" He continued to insist, though it was obvious that the person Flitwick was trying to convince was himself, not McGonagall.

McGonagall shook her head. "My source is..." she took a breath."Well, let's just say that I don't doubt him." she said bitterly, grinding her teeth together. "I was informed by our new head master." she spat out the words.

"New head master?" Flitwick enquired. "Who? And Since when?"

"Since ten minutes ago." McGonagall stated flatly, retrieving what looked like an official parchment from her pocket before flinging it on the table. "It couldn't last forever, Voldemort owns the school in all but writing, and we both knew me as acting headmistress could only, at most, be temporary."

"Minerva, you're trying to distract me from my first question." Flitwick pointed out knowingly. "Just say, who is it?"

McGonagall took a deep breath, laying down both her hands on the table. "Severus." she almost choked on the word.

Flitwick's eyes widened. "Severus?" he asked. "You mean... he's here?" he asked, as bewilderment turned to anger.

"Yes." McGonagall nodded. "This is real, it's not like with Umbridge, the school never belonged to her." McGonagall swallowed. "The Gargoyle opened for him, allowed him into the head masters office, he is really in there. We work for _him_ now."

Flitwick clenched his hands. "What audacity." he said bitterly. "How does he even dare to step into school grounds again? How dare he set foot in that office?" His voice shook in quiet anger.

"Apparently he all ready lost of his morals, oh Filius." she bitterly shook her head. "All last year he had been acting strange, he had been planning it the whole time. He was our friend! Dumbledore trusted him!" she looked at Filius. "And then he stood there, by the entrance, just ten minutes ago."

"Are you okay?" Flitwick asked concerned.

"I'm shocked. I'm scared!" McGonagall paused. "When I saw him…I wanted to hurt him, I had to use all of my strength not to do it." She was ashamed, Filius could tell, Minerva wasn't a violent person.

"I want to hurt him, and I haven't seen him." Flitwick told her, trying to comfort her. "He betrayed us, we trusted him."

"You should have seen him, he acted like he had all reason to be here, and then he told _me_ to calm down." McGonagall hissed. "Oh, I wish I had thrown him out."

"Maybe that is what we should do then." Flitwick injected. "Collect the teachers and show Voldemort it's our school."

"No." McGonagall stopped him. "They'll just send another… Death-eater." she said the word as if it tasted bad in her mouth. "This way, we know the skin of our snake, each and everyone of his habits, his flaws, his strengths. I hate to say it, but it's our own luck that it's him, this way we know from day one what our rules are." She straightened her back to sit in a firm upright position; wiping her eyes once more, before putting away the handkerchief and slipping back into her usual composed self, her moment of weakness completely over. "Filius, tell the teachers to meet me here in the evening, I need to make these announcements to everyone, and we need to discuss the new year in more detail." She said, determination gathering in her voice. "Make them aware that it could be a long night."

Flitwick nodded. "Secretly?" he asked.

"What's the point?" McGonagall asked. "This isn't Umbridge, he knows us, he knows precisely what we are going to talk about and he probably even knows our conclusions, even if we don't. This game is completely different."

"All mind games, no action, this is going to be tougher than any of the battles we've had here before." Flitwick commented in a grim tone.

* * *


	16. Year seven - ambitions

"Another hard days work finished." Alecto Carrow grinned as he rested his legs on top of the table.

Amycus, his twin, laughed loudly, a sound that strangely resembled a pig.

Alecto smirked. "Ten detentions, it's hard work, all those cruciatus curses."

McGonagall, disgusted, wrinkled her nose as she tried to concentrate on her essays. It had been half a year and not as much as once had either of the death eaters brought an essay to mark; apparently they thought themselves above marking at all. The only reason they ventured down to the staff room at all was to succumb their boredom, which they did by annoying the residing teachers.

Alecto sighed deeply. "I would have liked to use the cruciatus curse on that annoying trio again."

Amycus shrugged "It was Severus's office, so it's only fair Severus decides what to do with them."

"Still though." Alecto mused. "I really want to be the one to break that Longbottom. The kid doesn't lack courage; I have to give him that, though he is pretty stupid."

"We'll be the ones to get him next time." Amycus assured. The two of them talked about punishing the students like it was a game they played.

McGonagall clenched her hands together so her knuckles turned white, her nose vibrating dangerously, suddenly a very light hand touched her shoulder and McGonagall's eyes turned to Horace Slughorn, who silently pleaded at her to calm down. McGonagall took a deep breath and tried to relax herself.

"If you ask me." Alecto said. "Severus is too bloody soft. I mean sending them into the forest? What was that all about?" he asked, bewildered.

"I don't know." Amycus grumbled. "I remember scrubbing cauldrons back in my school days, which is worse than getting the cruciatus curse! Severus sure knows how to prolong the pain."

"Prolonging the pain isn't half as good when he makes it more boring for us every time he interferes." Alecto moaned.

Amycus grinned slightly. "Well, at least he makes them last longer for us."

"Oh, yeah!" Alecto lightened up. "Didn't think about it like that!"

McGonagall, hearing their conversation, couldn't help but roll her eyes and shake her head. Alecto saw her actions and turned to McGonagall, finally putting down his legs, and leaning forward. "An observation you would like to share?" he asked, tauntingly.

"Only, that it would be foolish to assume that Severus is that simple." She flatly stated.

"Are you defending him perhaps?" Alecto asked, trying to wind her up further.

"Certainly not." McGonagall grimaced. "But you should know as well as I, not to trust him. There is no way of knowing what he is thinking or planning, why he does what he does. He is the most unpredictable man in the world and is very intelligent, so don't come to me when he also fools you."

"You're calling us stupid?" Alecto asked in a dangerous voice.

"Wouldn't dream of it." McGonagall replied, in a voice that implied otherwise.

"As if I don't know not to trust him." Amycus rolled her eyes.

"Good to hear it." McGonagall shrugged.

Alecto seemed annoyed by the subject. "Oh this is boring!" he commented as he rose up, clearly not wanting to talk of the unpredictable Severus Snape. "Come on lets go."

Finally McGonagall exhaled as the twins had left through the door.

Slughorn looked beyond exhausted. "I'm not with them you know." He assured.

"I know that." McGonagall replied. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you are a lot more transparent than Severus."

"Given the situation, I'll take that as a blessing." Slughorn rubbed his eyes.

"What do you really think?" Flitwick asked McGonagall. "I mean… Severus's form of punishment, it confuses me." He said, his voice curious.

"I think there could be an explanation." McGonagall shrugged.

Both Flitwick and Slughorn looked questioningly at her.

"I don't think Severus wants to destroy the school." McGonagall said, making both men lift their eyebrows. "Hogwarts is his home, what he wants, is to reform it, not destroy it."

"Oh." Slughorn realised.

"And he knows without students, there is no school." Flitwick snapped his fingers in realisation.

"Exactly." McGonagall nodded. "As I said, nothing is simple with Severus. In a way I'm glad he's our headmaster, at least he wants our school to succeed."

"But he also wants you-know-who to succeed." Slughorn sighed. "What a mess."

"Well at least we can corporate." McGonagall shrugged. "Somewhat."

"You still want to throw him out every time you see him don't you?" Flitwick asked.

McGonagall looked disapproving at him, before sighing, defeated. "Best not think about it, just deal with it." She answered. "This is too complicated for me; we just need to focus on our goal."

"Keep the students safe." Flitwick said softly.

"Those who are left." Slughorn commented, his tone dry. "Though, the great house of _Slytherin_ seems to still be on its average numbers." He said, sarcastically. "Why Slytherin?" he asked, his voice becoming more pleading. "Why do they all seem to come from my house and impose that that the house lives up to preconceived views?"

"You should know that better than anyone else." McGonagall pointed out. "What do you think?"

Slughorn looked a little thoughtful. "It's the ambition." He stated. "When the ambition takes over, this is what happens. Though, without ambition, we would have been captured in the middle ages." He defended his house.

"Strange." Flitwick mused.

"What is it?" McGonagall asked.

"I just couldn't help but wonder." Flitwick looked thoughtful. "If it's the ambition... what are Severus's ambitions?" he asked.

McGonagall blinked, and opened her mouth just to answer, but found she didn't have a statement to answer with. Neither did Slughorn.

"What are his ambitions?" Flitwick echoed, leaving them all to ponder the question, none of them quite sure how to answer it.


	17. Year seven - The end

It was over.

It was unbelievable, and it was over. Harry Potter had won, Voldemort was gone. The wizarding world had spent the day celebrating, though many had also been mourning, and now it was quiet, people had their fill of partying and were now working on rebuilding. Not long ago Hogwarts great hall had been filled with bodies, though now, for every single dead soul a loved one had come and collected them, to lay them in a proper resting place. Everyone had been carried away by a mourning loved one… everyone but one. One had not been collected, and people were still not sure what to do, the only thing that had happened was that the empty soul less shell that had once been a person was moved into a smaller room and laid down on a table. It was an inconsiderate action, something which people ignored, the decision was made quickly, and like most snap decisions, was merely the easiest thing to do at the time.

McGonagall felt all that hammer down upon her, as she silently moved into the room. She had now heard the entire story from Potter, and looking at everything in hindsight, she didn't doubt it. She had yet to actually see the body; it had been brought to the castle from the shrieking shack by some ministry officials. She turned her head, and it was in front of her, lying on a simple wooden table with a white cloth over it.

She took a deep sigh as she moved closer, shaking a bit, unsure of what she was going to see, all she knew was that he been killed by the snake. With trembling hands, she carefully took a hold on the white clothe, and holding her breath, gently removed it from Severus's face.

McGonagall blinked as she slowly exhaled. She had known Severus Snape for most of his life, she had seen him as a eleven year old, stepping through the gates of Hogwarts for the first time, she had seen him grow into a young man and from that, into a person more grown than most would ever become. For seventeen years she had seen him everyday as a colleague, yet she had never seen him like this, she had never seen him looking like this.

He looked peaceful.

The otherwise always frowning sullen face was in relaxed peaceful folds, his at all times tense body relaxed. If he were suddenly to wake, McGonagall had the sense he would smile a light smile at her. McGonagall had planned to come in here to apologise to his body, to somehow reconcile… she now found it unnecessary, somehow she just knew, he understood, and he had found peace.

"Professor…" an unsure voice sounded from the door.

McGonagall blinked a tear away before she turned her head. "Please Potter, I'm not your teacher anymore, there is no longer a need. I understand you were offered place among the aurors immediately."

"It feels kind of wrong though." Harry Potter mused. "It's Harry then, not "Potter", if we really are going to drop formalities."

McGonagall's lips twisted into a little smile. "Very well, Harry." She nodded. This was not the first time a student has seised to be so, and she had changed how she spoke to them, but she had to agree with Potter on that one, it was always a little strange at the beginning.

Carefully Potter walked in to and swallowed before he warily looked down at Snape, looking rather scared about what he would find. After a few seconds he also relaxed, relieved, brfore even smiling lightly. "Wow." Harry commented. "He looks... err." He didn't finish the sentence, not knowing what the word he needed was.

"I know." McGonagall nodded.

Harry smirked. "So... have you figured what to… you know… do with him?" he seemed unsure of how to step on the subject.

McGonagall, annoyed, furrowed her brows. "I'm afraid he doesn't have any family at all, and his mothers grave no longer exists."

"Oh." Harry flustered. "Look... I was sort of thinking, maybe..." he bit his lip. "Maybe he could be buried at my family grave... you know, beside my mother."

McGonagall looked surprised at him.

"Of course, if you don't think it's appropriate." Harry played with his fingers, his eyes set firmly on them. "But you know... I thought my parent's grave is sort of the place people come and visit when they want to be reminded of the war, and what it meant. I want to tell his story, I think people could learn from it, that nothing is black and white." He looked down at McGonagall, something he was not used to, and as their eyes met he became more sure of what he was saying. "It could remind people of the different struggles in a war, the different heroes you don't hear about. Everyone knows of me and my parents, but there are so many others, and I want to tell the world about it, and I want him to be with my mother."

McGonagall smiled a relieved smile, a genuine smile. "That sounds good." She nodded. "To think I never thought that far, that he always cared about Lily." She shook her head. "I remember it so well."

Harry looked at her, his eyes wanting to know more, but the rest of him clearly not knowing if he was allowed to ask.

McGonagall smirked. "Severus and Lily were pretty much joined by the hip in their first couple of years here. Both Horace and I were so pleased and we both held hopes that they would set an example for all other Gryffindor and Slytherin students, both were so clever - top in their class, they even made Slug club in their first year."

Harry smirked, amused. "It's hard imagining him as an eleven year old." He told truthfully. "Even though I saw a small glimpse."

"He was very different." McGonagall nodded. "Though, you all are very different from when you come in that door and when you leave again."

"Perhaps we sort too soon." Harry suggested thoughtfully.

McGonagall looked questioningly at him.

"Dumbledore said that." Harry explained. "To professor Snape, in a memory I saw."

"There may be some truth to that." McGonagall acknowledged.

"Maybe Voldemort even had one point right." Harry mused. "We shouldn't sort at all; just have one school, with one united Hogwarts banner."

McGonagall shook her head. "Century old traditions are hard to break Harry."

"I guess." Harry sighed defeated. "I just hope that people will learn from his story anyway."

And in Godrics Hollow, many wizarding families who remembered the war would, on a yearly basis, visit the grave of James and Lily Potter, the people who gave their life to protect their son, who went out to safe them all. They would go and see the house which was blown half a part, yet still standing. Then they would go and see the statue of husband and wife, maybe write a little message, until at last they would bring their flowers to the gravestones. Then they would all become surprised and a tiny bit curious, as they discovered another head stone in the grave, a white head stone, a little smaller than the other one, and very simple. In black letters was written:

_Severus Tobias Snape. 1/9/1960 - 5/2/1998._

_Bravest, most dedicated warrior in the darkest times._

_Chose to sacrifice everything, because he loved._

_May he finally rest in peace._


End file.
